1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a system for, stowing, holding or maintaining articles in juxtaposed or side-by-side relation. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system for maintaining substantially flat articles in juxtaposed relation as a means to organize and stow the articles. The substantially flat articles may comprise various types of items, such as container lids, books, playing cards, compact disk cassettes, napkins, envelopes, and other articles readily subject to organization and stowage by book end-type structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art dealing with or specifying book end-type structure is old and well-developed. Public and private libraries the world over regularly utilize some type of book end device or system to prop or support a row of books. Often, the need arises to stow or organize other types of substantially flat article structures in a fashion similar to the familiar book end type support system. One such example well noted by the author of this writing is the need to store or organize the numerous types of container lids found in a typical household kitchen. In order to properly stow and/or organize flat articles such as container lids in juxtaposed relation, it is often necessary to incorporate some selective locking means to enable the user to lock the prop or support structure in place adjacent the terminal article of a given row of articles. The prior art does teach several types of book end-type systems designed to provide selectively lockable or adjustable props or supports for maintaining substantially flat articles in juxtaposed relation. Several of these prior art disclosures that do teach adjustable or lockable book end-type structures are described hereinafter.
U.S. Pat. No. 527,897 ('897 patent), which issued to Stikeman, discloses a Book Support. The '897 patent teaches a book support which is used in connection with a grooved or slotted shelf as referenced at A. The book support comprises a single piece of metal so shaped, bent and fashioned as to form a double-walled triangularly shaped abutment or brace as referenced at C. The abutment or brace C is formed with depending and outwardly bent flanges “c” and “c”, which enter the groove “a” and bear against the side walls of the groove so as to sustain the support in any position to which it may be moved. When it is desired to adjust the support on the shelf, it is only necessary to grasp the brace portion with one hand and squeeze the side walls of the same together thus releasing the pressure of flanges on the side walls of the groove, and then move the support along the groove or slot in either direction. Upon releasing the brace portion the flanges will press against the side walls of the groove and hold the support firmly in position.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,684,765 ('765 patent), which issued to Lowenstein, discloses a Holder for Books and the Like. The '765 patent teaches holders for books and the like that is adjustable for accommodating and supporting in upright position a plurality of different sized books of different thickness. In relevant portion, the '765 patent teaches a spring 44 secured to the bookend and preferably the front wall thereof and has upwardly diverging portions 45 terminating in downwardly and outwardly extending portions 46 which terminate in upwardly curved portions 47 adapted to resiliently engage the upper surface 4 of the top wall 3 of the base. The resilient members tend to maintain the lugs 38 in engagement with the lower faces 29 of the ribs 27 and 28 to create frictional contact for resisting movement of the bookends relative to the base.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,108 ('108 patent), which issued to Anderson, discloses an Adjustable Book Holding Device. The '108 patent teaches a device adapted to support one or more groups of books, magazines, file folders, papers or the like in any desired spaced relation along an underlying panel which may be a shelf or tray. The device includes manually adjustable book supports adapted to bear against the outside books in each group. The book supports are longitudinally slidable and self locking to lateral pressure from the books.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,696 ('696 patent), which issued to Sheu, discloses an Adjustable Bookrack. The '696 patent teaches an adjustable bookrack comprising a base with a guideway provided in an upper surface thereof, the guideway having a first frictional surface; a stationary upright end wall mounted securely at one end of base; a movable upright end wall disposed detachably on the guideway; a gliding member secured to the underside of the movable upright end wall and slidable on the guideway; a braking member releasably disposed under the gliding member and having a second frictional surface opposing the first frictional surface; and means for biasing the braking member toward the gliding member so as to impel the second frictional surface against the first frictional surface, including an actuator member. Thereby, when the actuator member is pushed, the braking member is released from the guideway so as to adjust the space between the stationary and movable upright end wall.
It will thus be noted that the prior art teaches a variety of mechanisms for allowing users to selectively adjust and lock book end-type uprights for stowing or organizing books and the like intermediate the book end-type uprights. Further, the prior, art teaches a number of slotted surfaces for receiving various types of selectively lockable book end-type uprights. From a thorough inspection of the prior art, it will be seen, however, that none of the prior art disclosures teach an article stowage system comprising, in combination, an assembly-receiving base having a wedge or dovetail shaped slot, and a slide support assembly receivable in the base, which assembly comprises, in combination, an upright support member fixedly and orthogonally attached to a slide member, which slide member comprises a rounded superior slide surface for tangential contact with opposing superior slot surfaces. Further, the prior art does not teach a slide support assembly comprising a V-shaped spring member held in pivotal contact with the upright at the spring member vertex, the terminal ends of which are oriented orthogonal to the slot track for lodged engagement with the track walls.
It is noted that the '897 patent does teach spring like means for selectively placing the book end uprights in frictionally locked engagement with a book end-receiving slot. However, it will be noted from a careful inspection of the '897 patent that the terminal ends of the spring like means are oriented parallel to the slot track. It is contemplated that given sufficient load force directed against the book end upright from the stowed article direction, that static (and kinetic) frictional forces between the slot walls and outwardly bent flanges “c” and “c” may be overcome, thus causing outwardly bent flanges “c” and “c”, which enter the groove “a” and to accelerate in the direction of the friction-overcoming force. The prior art thus perceives a need for a slide support assembly comprising a V-shaped spring member, which terminal ends are orthogonally oriented relative to the slot track or groove so that when load forces are directed against the upright member from the direction of the stowed articles, the terminal spring ends, under expansive force, become lodged or embedded in the side walls (as the load force drives the terminal spring ends into the side walls) of the track or groove for preventing linear acceleration along the groove or slotted track.
It will thus be seen from a consideration of the above-referenced patents and other prior art generally known to exist, that the prior art does not teach an article stowage system comprising, in combination, an assembly-receiving base having a wedge or dovetail shaped slot, and a slide support assembly receivable in the base, which assembly further comprises, in combination, an upright support member fixedly and orthogonally attached to a slide member, which slide member comprises a rounded superior slide surface for tangential contact with opposing superior slot surfaces. Further, the prior art does not teach a slide support assembly comprising a V-shaped spring member held in pivotal contact with the upright at the vertex of the spring member. Further, the prior art does not teach a V-shaped spring member held in pivotal contact with an upright member, the terminal ends of which spring member are oriented orthogonal to the slot track for lodged engagement with the track walls.
The prior art thus perceives a need for a selectively lockable article stowage system comprising, in combination, an assembly-receiving base having a wedge-shaped slot formed therein for receiving an improved slide support assembly. In this last regard, the prior art further perceives a need for an improved slide support assembly comprising, in combination, an upright support member fixedly and orthogonally attached to a slide member, which slide member is received in the wedge-shaped slot such that the superior slot surfaces are in tangential slidable contact with the rounded superior surface of the slide member. Further, the prior art perceives a need for selective spring locking means defined by a substantially V-shaped spring member, the terminal ends of which function to become lodged in the side walls of the assembly-receiving slot under the action of load forces directed against the upright member for preventing the slide support assembly from accelerating along the slot track.